Queen of England invited for independence

May 06, 2012

The Government will invite the Queen of England for this year’s golden jubilee celebrations due on October 9, the Minister for the Presidency has said.

By John Masaba & John Semakula

The Government will invite the Queen of England for this year’s golden jubilee celebrations due on October 9, the Minister for the Presidency has said.

Muruli Mukasa said Queen Elizabeth will be part of several important guests Uganda is inviting to grace the climax of the celebrations to mark 50 years since Uganda attained independence.

“We shall invite her and we think she will come and be with us,” Muruli said. Uganda was a British protectorate before it got independence on October 9, 1962.

The queen first visited in 1954 at the commissioning of Owen Falls Dam (now renamed Nalubaale) before Uganda became independent and visited again in 2007 during CHOGM.

Her visit is still memorable among Ugandans and was a sign of the warm relations between the former master and colony.

Muruli said the Government is also hosting a number of African heads of state, especially those with good ties to Uganda.

The Government has budgeted sh27b for the celebrations, which will see Kololo Airstrip renovated to the standard of a modern international airstrip.

The UPDF is supposed to spearhead the renovations, under which a pavilion and a health facility will be added to the facility in a bid to make it international. Plans for the golden jubilee are under way following the minister’s announcement that fully-fledged celebrations start today.

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